Betfair Official Blog

Multiples Betting: The French Connection

24 April 2008

1. Sheffield United to beat Bristol City @ [2.26]
2. Notts Forest to beat Hartlepool United @ [1.85]
3. Notts County to beat Wycombe Wanderers [2.26]
£10 @ [8.5]

As last week's winning treble gives me good current form (!), I'm kicking off this week's bet with a Championship side that is also on a roll: Sheffield United.

While a few Blades fans may grumble that finding this sort of form a bit earlier would have put them at the heart of the promotion battle, Kevin Blackwell has still given his side a squeak of clambering into the play-offs.

Last week's 2-0 victory over in-form Hull City - achieved with 10 men for 45 minutes after Chris Morgan was sent off - made it seven wins in nine for the Bramall Lane club.

To have any chance of being involved in the play-off picture on the final weekend of the season they must win again on Saturday - and although fellow promotion hopefuls Bristol City are never easy to beat, I think United could well continue their purple patch.

Having been up with the pace all season, the Robins deserve a crack at the play-offs, but just one win in nine games has left them scrambling around for the points required to be certain.

They have lost each of their last three away games and, with a noisy crowd packed into Bramall Lane, I'm taking United to grab the points at [2.26].

If you follow the action by watching Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, then hope that Jeff Stelling has little to cheer about - because I'm taking Nottingham Forest to win at the presenter's beloved Hartlepool United.

The Pools' season was largely over some time ago and they are nicely tucked away in mid-table. They were beaten at Brighton last week and they have lost their last two home games at Victoria Park.

Forest looked set for the play-offs at best when they lost at home to Carlisle in early March, but a run of 13 points in the last five games has revitalised the season for Colin Calderwood's men, and they are now only three points behind Carlisle who currently sit in the second automatic promotion place.

A play-off berth is guaranteed for Forest, so they can afford to go for it at Hartlepool, and I think they will be rewarded - I'm including them in the treble at [1.85].

We have been championing the cause of relegation-haunted sides battling against the drop from League Town into the Conference, and I'm sticking with teams in bother this week by backing Notts County.

Visitors Wycombe Wanderers are already safe in the knowledge that they will be involved in the play-offs, and so it would be no surprise if Paul Lambert chose to rest a player or two.

It's a very different scenario for County, who are only two points above the drop zone.

This is their last home game and with a trip to Chesterfield on the last day, this is clearly the better opportunity for the Football League's oldest club to grab three vital points.

County must win - I'm saying they will at odds of [2.26].

Therefore, this week's French Connection is Sheffield United (at [2.26]), Nottingham Forest (at [1.85]) and Notts County (at [2.26]), a treble that pays around the [8.5] mark.